It is only a matter of months until the start of the 2025 crush, and CANEGROWERS Mackay is urging people thinking of a change to take a look at opportunities in the sugarcane industry. This year, the annual CANEGROWERS Mackay harvest labour campaign is taking an all-of-industry approach.
Our industry offers a broad range of opportunities from farming, harvesting, milling and service businesses. Having an adequate and skilled workforce from paddock to mill and beyond is critical in getting our cane processed and our sugar to market. The growing, harvesting and milling sectors are all interdependent on each other to succeed.
It is important that people see opportunity in the sugar industry. It is an industry with a diversity of jobs where drivers, skilled tradespeople, technicians and growers, and supporting professionals all play a valued role.
As a renewable resource, there is a strong potential future for cane across food, fibre and fuel. In this region alone, there is well over 6 million tonne of cane to harvest and process every year.
As it has been for 15 years, the heart of the campaign is the Canegrowers Mackay Haulout Driver courses, funded through the Queensland Government Skilling Queenslanders for Work program, and delivering 20 new workers every year to the harvesting sector, equipped with basic practical and safety skills.
The four-day courses are conducted on-farm and led by highly experienced grower harvesters. As an added bonus for people new to agriculture, it features RTO-accredited modules in Rural Operations Cert II, this year backed by our new RTO course partner, Civil Safety, who will work alongside the experienced grower-harvester training team of Ron Gurnett, Glen Brady and Zac Borg.
We are always thankful for the expertise these growers bring to the course, delivering practical advice and guidance to industry newcomers. Not to mention Ron Gurnett making his farm and machinery available for the trainee’s use.
It is vitally important for our harvest sector that all Haulout driver positions are filled. As a service to industry, CANEGROWERS Mackay are committed to helping people get basic training and become employed in our industry.
C Class (drivers) licenses are all that is required to drive the more common tractor/trailer haulout combination used in Mackay region, while HR and, in some cases, HC is needed for trucks. There is a demand for drivers that have HR and HC licenses across milling areas also.
The haulout course gives a great ‘bootcamp’ start to the industry, harvest contractors and growers will still need to deliver some on the job training and site-specific inductions.
We welcome people to apply for jobs and training. There are about 130 harvesting groups across the region. Many have people who return year on year, but many are looking for new staff also. Equally, there are millers and businesses right along the supply chain looking for staff.
In recent years, we have had interest from younger retirees looking to supplement their retirement income with work through the cooler months. We have had interest from all walks of life: backpackers, women, school-leavers. From people who become tired of working the drive-in-drive-out working away from home lifestyle, and instead be home every night.
Registrations are open now for the Haulout Driver courses, closing on Wednesday 16 April. The four-day courses start 13 and 20 May. You can find out more about Haulout Driver training and see the CANEGROWERS Mackay jobs board on our website. www.mackaycanegrowers.com.au.
Haulout Senior Trainer Ron Gurnett shares a lifetime's experience in harvest with course participants
Haulout Driver training is an excellent way to get acquainted with industry procedures. Photo credit: Kirili Lamb
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